Samsung Galaxy S Series

[tinman1]

And they are called? You do realise as you are not an employee of CPW or an affiliate your not allowed to use the software? If you are then i apologise however giving this advice out to people who are not is misleading. And yes, warranty still invalidated.

[Rapturoso]

The warranty is not invalidated if there is no evidence of tampering, even if it's been flashed with a custom ROM and then flashed back, with the counter reset. This means that if the ROM counter is at 0, even if you have a generic stock ROM rather than your branded ROM installed, you can still flash back to a branded ROM and still have a warranty.

I'm not offering this as advice at all. However, this is a valid loophole that no carrier or retail staff can detect. As long as the stock ROM is flashed back to the device before they see it and the ROM counter is reset, there will be no problem.

If you know what you are looking for then anyone can have the official service tools. They are available and fully functional if you know where to look. Unfortunately it's necessary to do your own research on this as I did. It's not hard and you'll be flashing phones all over the place before long.

[tinman1]

I know how to flash phones and the software involved. The point im making is that warranties exist because the companies are forced to offer them. Any chance they have to worm out of it they will. Walk into voda today with ICS on your phone looking to get warranty repair and see how quickly you are shown the door.

And while im here, if you had all necessary software, why did you get the tech guy from CPW to do it?

[Rapturoso]

If you'd have read my post correctly the first time you would know!

"... if it were not for the fact that I was passing by in town yesterday. Before I visited CPW I was in Starbucks..."

It was much simpler and time effective to have a friend do it whilst finishing my coffee and being nosey than it would have been at home. Fortunately it was just as simple doing my friend's this morning.

It's common sense to flash the phone with stock before presenting for a guarantee repair. Why would you suggest something so daft as to present an generic ICS flashed phone for inspection? It goes without saying, hence the reason I mentioned flashing back to stock before presenting to your carrier/retailer. Did you skip that part too? Please read my posts properly. This is becoming tedious having to repeat myself needlessly.

[tinman1]

Whats becoming tedious is your blatant disregard for others phones. Saying do yourself a favour and flash the european version? What happens if your phone becomes unusable and you are unable to flash back to stock? Did you think about that?

I didnt skip anything, you clearly have missed the point. You have a friend who works a CPW? This changes a lot as it then again becomes an unofficial method to flash your phone.

[Dave]

Hi guys,

Just to step in here and clarify the position on Firmware and warranties:

If you have a Vodafone-branded handset purchased from Vodafone and any non-Vodafone version of firmware is installed, then this invalidates the Vodafone warranty. This is irregardless of the method used to do this - there is no "official" or "approved" method.

If the handset was bought from Carphone Warehouse or any other party, then the warranty would be with them and not Vodafone and subject to their conditions.

Non Vodafone-approved firmware will show a different version number to Vodafone approved firmware, which has been tested to ensure it works with our offered services, and so would be identified as out of warranty.

We do not look to prevent people discussing firmware and, if they wish, ways to debrand the handset and their experiences with Non-Vodafone firmware, but we do ask that everything is kept friendly, so by all means keep discussing this, but please play nice. 

Dave

[Rapturoso]

I would have to strongly disagree here. Since when does knowing someone at CPW make their work "unofficial"? If I'd have not known them I'd have still asked for the flash and it would still be an official way to get a software update. How do you suppose people with no Internet access upgrade their phones? Well, they take them to an official service centre and this is usually inside CPW regardless of it's purchase origin. Then they update the phone in exactly the same way that my friend did. I fail to see how any of this makes my friends work any different as it's identical and just as official.

It would be nice if tinman1 would cease with misdirection and hearsay as everything that has been stated here is official and if people want to be adventurous and use whatever ROM they wish until such time they need a repair, it would be totally their choice. Needless to say, most Galaxy S2 users are way into their 12 months warranty anyway so it shouldn't be any issue for them. Even if they took out an extended insurance, this is for the hardware and any loss or irreparable damage which would replace the phone for a new one anyway, regardless of what software was on it. Lay the phone in the road and have it run over and all software looks the same. No brainer.

[tinman1]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your input, its nice to know you guys come on here from time to time! Its clear to see that while we both had valid correct points we were both wrong too, thanks for clearing that up.

Now, while youre here, when is ICS officially released?? :-P

[tinman1]

I actually have better things to do than argue with you, you flashed a rom that has not yet been released in this country, end of. Unbranded phones are still waiting too. Read what dave said about the software. If it was something that Samsung and every other provider were happy with you flashing your phone yourself they would advertise this. They dont.

[Rapturoso]

@tinman1. You're basing your assumptuous purely on the fact that you are only considering online updates. Every service centre has been able to officially upgrade European devices off-line for over a week with the official ROMs. Simply passing off an update as unofficial and potentially unsafe just because you feel that if it's done off-line it's somehow automatically unofficial and in turn invalidating the warranty is ludacrus to say the least.

Only people waiting for Kies online updates and OTA carrier updates are affected by the increased waiting time. It's called a staggered roll-out for a reason and that reason is a mixture of bandwidth, quality of service and regional beurocracy.

Official off-line updates that do not invalidate carrierless GS2 warranties are not subject to this staggered roll-out. One can go to a service centre and get the official update for their GS2 just as I did and still be under warranty. There's also no way to tell this has been done "at home" if the official service tools are used to do it. You'll only have the potential of warranty difficulties, as tinman1 is so fond of repeating, if you take the phone back for repair where the software can be clearly seen as non-stock hence the reason I mentioned extended insurance policies and fast moving vehicles.

[tinman1]

Dave, can you or anyone on the tech team confirm this that if i walk into a vodafone shop and ask for ICS upgrade i will get it? if thats the case i will go first thing in the morning.

[Gilesgf1]

@Rapturoso,

I am sorry, but I think you may be wrong about the availability of the VF Rom.

It may be true that all of the Samsung service centres have the official rom, and are able to flash it to a GS2.. But the Vodafone Official Rom is not out yet in any way shape or form.

I would think that taking the a VF phone into Samsung Service Centre (or CPW) and flashing it would, in VF's eyes' be exactly the same as doing it at home via Odin as the software version number will be incorrect... thus meaning no warranty

[Rapturoso]

Again tinman1, you are not reading my posts or taking in the information that is offered. I mention carrierless, yet you ask "... Dave or anyone... " about a Vodafone upgrade. It's either this or you're deliberately misunderstanding in a vain attempt at trolling me. :-\

Why would Vodafone upgrade your device when their ROM has not even been released yet, unlike the carrierless ROM which has and when, I believe, Vodafone stores do not have the facilities to upgrade phones in store?

Edit: I was composing this post before your message above and did not see it before mine was submitted. Slight hint, I think the word you are looking for at the end there is "therefore" not "thus" as this makes no sense. "Thus" and "therefore" are not interchangeable, just like "carrierless" and "Vodafone" :-*

[Northern-dj]

---

Gilesgf1 wrote:

@Rapturoso,

I am sorry, but I think you may be wrong about the availability of the VF Rom.

It may be true that all of the Samsung service centres have the official rom, and are able to flash it to a GS2.. But the Vodafone Official Rom is not out yet in any way shape or form.

I would think that taking the a VF phone into Samsung Service Centre (or CPW) and flashing it would, in VF's eyes' be exactly the same as doing it at home via Odin as the software version number will be incorrect... thus meaning no warranty

---

Write calm down if this get's out of hand they will shut the thread

Right what Dave has said is correct

But taking your phone to a Samsung service centre for repair will not void the Vodafone warrenty if they put aproved firmware on,

Now Dave mentioned that the VF rom has been tested to work on there services,  Now most VF services are now gone thankfully as they never worked !!!!

Now No VF shope can do firmware flashing

No CPW shop can

They send them away.

Now de branding will as dave said Void all warrenties with Vodafone and any insurance you have

it will not Void any Samsung warranties as your using Samsung Firmware 

Now yes you can do this, But a service centre may also advice that the problem was caused by the firmware now they can offer to temporey de brand so it can be tested.

Now then at a later date if a network has fixed the problem you then can go back

Now Vodafone has a duty of care here that some times winds people up hence this post, All of us that have been her have tried sevaral times to sort this out

Now Dave has repaeted the Vodafone stance, its not the eforums as there in the dark as much as we are

Information is the main problem and has been on other devices

Now we do need to calm this down

at the moment Vodafone have not launched this nor has any service centre put this on any phone

Now any more people having a pop at each other will get pointed out the the eforum team were all here to help each other, and to pass on what we find out

Now tempers ar getting fraid

The last thing we want it this shutting down, this give vodafone a free hand then on controing the forum

When ICS come it will come  

[Rapturoso]

@Northern-dj. I have the XEU ICS update and yes it was carried out by an authorised service centre. Telling people on this forum or elsewhere that carrierless updates aren't available officially off-line is simply not true. Take your SIM free GS2 to any authorised service centre and ask for ICS and they will do it free of charge for you, risk free.

[Northern-dj]

---

Rapturoso wrote:
@Northern-dj. I have the XEU ICS update and yes it was carried out by an authorised service centre. Telling people on this forum or elsewhere that carrierless updates aren't available officially off-line is simply not true. Take your SIM free GS2 to any authorised service centre and ask for ICS and they will do it free of charge for you, risk free.

Strange that no other site in the UK has said that the XEU ICS is avalable

The point that dave was making was Vodafone have not Launched this

Now Any XEU usaer can take there phone to a service centre and get them to up date to the latest firmware if its avalable

But that is only open to XEU customers not Vodafone customers

Now if this was rolled out then every XEU user on here would be jumping for joy

a service centre is not aloud to put a Rom on a device until it has been made official for the UK

They get there roms the same time its rolled out on Kies.

as XEU users are getting still on 2.3.4 that they have the latest firmware.

If they have put ICS on then at the service centre i would question them as to why as its not Officially rolled out yet

The last thing we want is a mass stamped in to service centres

By all means other XEU customers you can contact them and ask the question

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[tonytango]

opp's
http://www.sammobile.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4384

[Allan87]

@Northern-dj I'm not trying to sound like the grammar police but seriously, proof-read your posts before hitting "post message", this phonetic spelling of yours is turning into a game of trying to interpret what you're trying to say rather than reading it.

[tinman1]

Im loathed to post again on this topic but here goes. Tonytango thanks for the link but we have been able to download the firmware for a while now to flash or tinker with it ourselves, hence the annoyance at having to wait for it through official channels.

Rapturoso Please let us know who is offering this service so we can ask ourselves, you have offered no sources, only your word and a dubious response of you had to research this yourself so we have to aswell. I feel this is the last i want to say on the subject, if this was legit samsung would have said. Any response from them regarding the unbranded firmware availability has been 'its coming' not 'its coming but you can upgrade off-line at any of our approved service centres' If this was the case I for one wouldnt be on here asking where it is.

Remember this info is responses from samsung and from reading info made available from people in the industry and openly available on the web.

[Rapturoso]

@tinman1. Maybe because you never asked?

Carphone Warehouse, Unit C, Coventry Business Park, Tile Hill Lane, Coventry. CV4 9DE.

If you take your non-branded GS2 there tomorrow, they will officially upgrade it whilst you wait.